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Deep ocean drivers better explain habitat preferences of sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus than beaked whales in the Bay of Biscay. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9620. [PMID: 35688859 PMCID: PMC9187681 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13546-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Species Distribution Models are commonly used with surface dynamic environmental variables as proxies for prey distribution to characterise marine top predator habitats. For oceanic species that spend lot of time at depth, surface variables might not be relevant to predict deep-dwelling prey distributions. We hypothesised that descriptors of deep-water layers would better predict the deep-diving cetacean distributions than surface variables. We combined static variables and dynamic variables integrated over different depth classes of the water column into Generalised Additive Models to predict the distribution of sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus and beaked whales Ziphiidae in the Bay of Biscay, eastern North Atlantic. We identified which variables best predicted their distribution. Although the highest densities of both taxa were predicted near the continental slope and canyons, the most important variables for beaked whales appeared to be static variables and surface to subsurface dynamic variables, while for sperm whales only surface and deep-water variables were selected. This could suggest differences in foraging strategies and in the prey targeted between the two taxa. Increasing the use of variables describing the deep-water layers would provide a better understanding of the oceanic species distribution and better assist in the planning of human activities in these habitats.
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Virgili A, Hedon L, Authier M, Calmettes B, Claridge D, Cole T, Corkeron P, Dorémus G, Dunn C, Dunn TE, Laran S, Lehodey P, Lewis M, Louzao M, Mannocci L, Martínez-Cedeira J, Monestiez P, Palka D, Pettex E, Roberts JJ, Ruiz L, Saavedra C, Santos MB, Van Canneyt O, Bonales JAV, Ridoux V. Towards a better characterisation of deep-diving whales' distributions by using prey distribution model outputs? PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255667. [PMID: 34347854 PMCID: PMC8336804 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In habitat modelling, environmental variables are assumed to be proxies of lower trophic levels distribution and by extension, of marine top predator distributions. More proximal variables, such as potential prey fields, could refine relationships between top predator distributions and their environment. In situ data on prey distributions are not available over large spatial scales but, a numerical model, the Spatial Ecosystem And POpulation DYnamics Model (SEAPODYM), provides simulations of the biomass and production of zooplankton and six functional groups of micronekton at the global scale. Here, we explored whether generalised additive models fitted to simulated prey distribution data better predicted deep-diver densities (here beaked whales Ziphiidae and sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus) than models fitted to environmental variables. We assessed whether the combination of environmental and prey distribution data would further improve model fit by comparing their explanatory power. For both taxa, results were suggestive of a preference for habitats associated with topographic features and thermal fronts but also for habitats with an extended euphotic zone and with large prey of the lower mesopelagic layer. For beaked whales, no SEAPODYM variable was selected in the best model that combined the two types of variables, possibly because SEAPODYM does not accurately simulate the organisms on which beaked whales feed on. For sperm whales, the increase model performance was only marginal. SEAPODYM outputs were at best weakly correlated with sightings of deep-diving cetaceans, suggesting SEAPODYM may not accurately predict the prey fields of these taxa. This study was a first investigation and mostly highlighted the importance of the physiographic variables to understand mechanisms that influence the distribution of deep-diving cetaceans. A more systematic use of SEAPODYM could allow to better define the limits of its use and a development of the model that would simulate larger prey beyond 1,000 m would probably better characterise the prey of deep-diving cetaceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auriane Virgili
- Observatoire PELAGIS, UMS 3462 CNRS—La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
| | - Laura Hedon
- Observatoire PELAGIS, UMS 3462 CNRS—La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
| | - Matthieu Authier
- Observatoire PELAGIS, UMS 3462 CNRS—La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
- ADERA, Pessac Cedex, Pessac, France
| | | | - Diane Claridge
- Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation, Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Bahamas
| | - Tim Cole
- Protected Species Branch, NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Peter Corkeron
- Protected Species Branch, NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ghislain Dorémus
- Observatoire PELAGIS, UMS 3462 CNRS—La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
| | - Charlotte Dunn
- Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation, Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Bahamas
| | - Tim E. Dunn
- Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Inverdee House, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie Laran
- Observatoire PELAGIS, UMS 3462 CNRS—La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
| | | | - Mark Lewis
- Protected Species Branch, NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Maite Louzao
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Pasaia, Spain
| | - Laura Mannocci
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Sète, France
| | | | - Pascal Monestiez
- BioSP, INRA, Avignon, France
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé - La Rochelle, UMR 7372 CNRS—La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Debra Palka
- Protected Species Branch, NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Emeline Pettex
- ADERA, Pessac Cedex, Pessac, France
- Cohabys—ADERA, La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
| | - Jason J. Roberts
- Marine Geospatial Ecology Laboratory, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Leire Ruiz
- AMBAR Elkartea Organisation, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Camilo Saavedra
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - M. Begoña Santos
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Olivier Van Canneyt
- Observatoire PELAGIS, UMS 3462 CNRS—La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
| | | | - Vincent Ridoux
- Observatoire PELAGIS, UMS 3462 CNRS—La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé - La Rochelle, UMR 7372 CNRS—La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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Barkley YM, Nosal EM, Oleson EM. Model-based localization of deep-diving cetaceans using towed line array acoustic data. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 150:1120. [PMID: 34470263 DOI: 10.1121/10.0005847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Passive acoustic monitoring using a towed line array of hydrophones is a standard method for localizing cetaceans during line-transect cetacean abundance surveys. Perpendicular distances estimated between localized whales and the trackline are essential for abundance estimation using acoustic data. Uncertainties in the acoustic data from hydrophone movement, sound propagation effects, errors in the time of arrival differences, and whale depth are not accounted for by most two-dimensional localization methods. Consequently, location and distance estimates for deep-diving cetaceans may be biased, creating uncertainty in abundance estimates. Here, a model-based localization approach is applied to towed line array acoustic data that incorporates sound propagation effects, accounts for sources of error, and localizes in three dimensions. The whale's true distance, ship trajectory, and whale movement greatly affected localization results in simulations. The localization method was applied to real acoustic data from two separate sperm whales, resulting in three-dimensional distance and depth estimates with position bounds for each whale. By incorporating sources of error, this three-dimensional model-based approach provides a method to address and integrate the inherent uncertainties in towed array acoustic data for more robust localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne M Barkley
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, Hawaii 96822, USA
| | - Eva-Marie Nosal
- Ocean Resources and Engineering, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
| | - Erin M Oleson
- Protected Species Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Honolulu, Hawaii 96818, USA
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Marsh L, Huvenne VAI, Jones DOB. Geomorphological evidence of large vertebrates interacting with the seafloor at abyssal depths in a region designated for deep-sea mining. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:180286. [PMID: 30225016 PMCID: PMC6124127 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.180286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Exploration licences for seafloor mineral deposits have been granted across large areas of the world's oceans, with the abyssal Pacific Ocean being the primary target for polymetallic nodules-a potentially valuable source of minerals. These nodule-bearing areas support a large diversity of deep-sea life and although studies have begun to characterize the benthic fauna within the region, the ecological interactions between large bathypelagic vertebrates of the open ocean and the abyssal seafloor remain largely unknown. Here we report seafloor geomorphological alterations observed by an autonomous underwater vehicle that suggest large vertebrates could have interacted with the seafloor to a maximum depth of 4258 m in the recent geological past. Patterns of disturbance on the seafloor are broadly comparable to those recorded in other regions of the world's oceans attributed to beaked whales. These observations have important implications for baseline ecological assessments and the environmental management of potential future mining activities within this region of the Pacific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh Marsh
- National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
- Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
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Miller BS, Miller EJ. The seasonal occupancy and diel behaviour of Antarctic sperm whales revealed by acoustic monitoring. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5429. [PMID: 29615756 PMCID: PMC5882826 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23752-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The seasonal occupancy and diel behaviour of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) was investigated using data from long-term acoustic recorders deployed off east Antarctica. An automated method for investigating acoustic presence of sperm whales was developed, characterised, and applied to multi-year acoustic datasets at three locations. Instead of focusing on the acoustic properties of detected clicks, the method relied solely on the inter-click-interval (ICI) for determining presence within an hour-long recording. Parameters for our classifier were informed by knowledge of typical vocal behaviour of sperm whales. Sperm whales were detected predominantly from Dec-Feb, occasionally in Nov, Mar, Apr, and May, but never in the Austral winter or early spring months. Ice cover was found to have a statistically significant negative effect on sperm whale presence. In ice-free months sperm whales were detected more often during daylight hours and were seldom detected at night, and this effect was also statistically significant. Seasonal presence at the three east Antarctic recording sites were in accord with what has been inferred from 20th century whale catches off western Antarctica and from stomach contents of whales caught off South Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian S Miller
- Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia.
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Irvine L, Palacios DM, Urbán J, Mate B. Sperm whale dive behavior characteristics derived from intermediate-duration archival tag data. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:7822-7837. [PMID: 29043037 PMCID: PMC5632629 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Revised: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we describe the diving behavior of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) using the Advanced Dive Behavior (ADB) tag, which records depth data at 1‐Hz resolution and GPS‐quality locations for over 1 month, before releasing from the whale for recovery. A total of 27 ADB tags were deployed on sperm whales in the central Gulf of California, Mexico, during spring 2007 and 2008, of which 10 were recovered for data download. Tracking durations of all tags ranged from 0 to 34.5 days (median = 2.3 days), and 0.6 to 26.6 days (median = 5.0 days) for recovered tags. Recovered tags recorded a median of 50.8 GPS‐quality locations and 42.6 dives per day. Dive summary metrics were generated for archived dives and were subsequently classified into six categories using hierarchical cluster analysis. A mean of 77% of archived dives per individual were one of four dive categories with median Maximum Dive Depth >290 m (V‐shaped, Mid‐water, Benthic, or Variable), likely associated with foraging. Median Maximum Dive Depth was <30 m for the other two categories (Short‐ and Long‐duration shallow dives), likely representing socializing or resting behavior. Most tagged whales remained near the tagging area during the tracking period, but one moved north of Isla Tiburón, where it appeared to regularly dive to, and travel along the seafloor. Three whales were tagged on the same day in 2007 and subsequently traveled in close proximity (<1 km) for 2 days. During this period, the depth and timing of their dives were not coordinated, suggesting they were foraging on a vertically heterogeneous prey field. The multiweek dive records produced by ADB tags enabled us to generate a robust characterization of the diving behavior, activity budget, and individual variation for an important predator of the mesopelagos over temporal and spatial scales not previously possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ladd Irvine
- Marine Mammal Institute, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University Newport OR USA
| | - Daniel M Palacios
- Marine Mammal Institute, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University Newport OR USA
| | - Jorge Urbán
- Departamento de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur La Paz Baja California Sur México
| | - Bruce Mate
- Marine Mammal Institute, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University Newport OR USA
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